Emergency Lanes

I'm curious to know how you feel about people that park their cars in emergency or fire lanes and then leave their car unattended while they run in for an errand. I find this completely unacceptable since generally there are open parking spaces that the person can park in.

I've found many parents at my children's after school program that continually park in the fire lane knowing that if they are caught, that the facility will have to pay a $500 fine since it is considered private property. I'm assuming that since they wouldn't have to pay the fine, they don't care really. When they park in the fire lane, they are blocking the drive so that only one car can pass at a time and if there was to be an emergency, the ambulance and/or fire truck might not be able to pass.

As a concerned parent, I've brought it to some of the parents attention that they are in the fire lane and that they need to move their car. I've gotten the "everyone else does it" and the "but I'm just running in" excuse, but some have moved their cars.

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I've never heard the thing about it being on private property so the facility is responsible for how/where people park. Either way, you might try talking to the fire marshall. In Bluffton, that would be Bill Martin at #757-2800 or e-mail him at firemarshall@blufftonfd.com. On Hilton Head it would be Joheida Fister at #682-5100. They both seem like the kind of folks who would come out, assess the situation and give a warning before actually issuing a ticket to anyone. If it's the after school program's responsibility, maybe they'll take it more seriously if the fire marshall comes out. After all, in the event of a fire, it doesn't matter why the car's there or for how long, it only matters whether the fire fighters can get to the water and put the fire out ASAP. Ie: excuses don't cut it with those guys...

I've already talked with the Bluffton Fire Marshal. The law is kind of funny about this. The Fire Department is responsible for enforcing this law, but they can't write tickets to individuals, only police officers can. They can however call the cops to come and hope that the person is still parked in the fire lane when they get there. The only thing the fire department can do is fine the business for allowing this to happen. I know at my kids after school program, they have come out a number of times and warned people along with the facility, but haven't gone any further as they aren't in the business of issuing fines and collecting money.

Maybe I'm one of those sticklers that if it's the law, don't do it at all, but this just drives me crazy. I would think that if there were parking spaces available that people would park there instead of in the fire lane, but that apparently is not the case here. I would think that the safety of children would outweigh ones laziness in walking an additional 50 feet and having to actually park their car.

I live on the island. Recently, there have been, for lack of nicer terms, "violators" who park repeatedly in a landscaped area of the complex...right where a fire hydrant is. Of course, when management is called, by the time anyone comes, IF they, come, the vehicles (there are numerous ones who do this) have long gone.

One early morning, looking out my window, I see, once again, another car there. I decide to call the police. They arrive, only to inform me that there is nothing they can do since it is on "private" property. They, in turn, ask to see MY license. Not thinking anything wrong, I hand it to them, only to be informed that there is a bench warrant for MY arrest over a violation that was taken care of three years before.

Yes...*I* went to jail, while the police allowed the vehicle to remain where it was. I actually had a fun time with it, and made everyone's morning that Friday in BCDC with my joking and good humor. After all, it was NONE of their faults, and I certainly had done nothing wrong as I had paid the fine three years before hand. I blame the paper pushers at Beaufort County themselves and plan on having fun with them...with a lawyer.

The police DID, however, write down all the information not only regarding that vehicle, but also the silver mini van with the wonderful "Tag For Aplicaton" handwritten on the back (spelling errors clearly showing the grasp of the English language these people have) as well as the vehicle next to it with tags that expired December of 2008. This was about a month ago.

Since then, there has been a white mini van with Ohio tags parking there.

So, while I am totally FOR obeying the laws, I for one will NOT bother to inform anyone of these incidents again. As I told the police officers that early Friday morning, I don't blame them one bit; they're only doing what they are told to do. BUT...the next time babies are being dropped off the rooftops, or I hear or witness anything, I will play Schultz..."I know NOTH-ink!" And if they hand me a card for me to call with any information later on, I will tell them kindly to throw the card in the dumpster that is near where they park since that is exactly where it will end up anyways.

I almost hope for a fire to break out so that when the trucks arrive, I can witness first hand these vehicles being treated the way they deserve by the firefighters trying to get to a blocked hydrant.

;)

As long as it isn't my apartment. What great irony would it be if it was the vehicles' owners' apartments that caught fire...only to lose everything while the firemen worked in vain to get to the hydrant that they, themselves, parked in front of and blocked.